IND vs AUS Live: Team India looks to bowl Australia out early on Day 2

CARSON, Calif. — The LA Galaxy finished 26th in the 29-team Major League Soccer standings just one season ago, and their biggest supporters boycotted certain matches to protest a decade of poor performance. The most successful club in league history seemed light years away from its luminous prime. When the Galaxy raised the MLS Cup again Saturday amid confetti and fireworks, their spectacular transformation was complete. In only one year, a team that was profoundly lost had rediscovered its peerless championship pedigree. "We won this trophy, and it's finally back where it belongs," striker Dejan Joveljic said. Joseph Paintsil and Joveljic scored in the first half, and the Galaxy won their record sixth MLS Cup championship with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls. After striking twice in the first 13 minutes of the final, the Galaxy nursed their lead through a scoreless second half to raise their league's biggest trophy for the first time since 2014. MLS' most successful franchise struggled through most of the ensuing years, but everything changed after LA spent smartly in the offseason to build a high-scoring new lineup topped by Paintsil, Joveljic and Gabriel Pec. The Galaxy finished second in the Western Conference and streaked through the postseason with an MLS playoff-record 18 goals in five games to win another crown. "I'm just so proud of this group after the challenges that we (had) and the way they bounced back and competed as a group," Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. "We spent a lot of energy at the start, but I'm just so proud of these guys. They've cemented themselves as legends in this club." The Galaxy even won this title without perhaps their most important player. Riqui Puig, the playmaking midfielder from Barcelona who ran their offense impressively all season long, tore a ligament in his knee last week in the conference final. Puig watched this game in a suit, but the Catalan catalyst's teammates hadn't forgotten him: After his replacement, Gastón Brugman, set up LA's opening goal with a superb pass in the ninth minute, Paintsil held up Puig's jersey to their roaring fans during the celebration. "I was really waiting for this moment," said Paintsil, who scored his 14th goal of an impressive season. "I'm much more, 10 times faster than them, and Gaston saw the space. ... It was really a good thing. We did it for Riqui, and we did it for our family that came, and our supporters." Just four minutes later, Joveljic sprinted past four New York defenders and chipped home his 21st goal. Brugman was named the MLS Cup MVP after a commanding performance in midfield. The Uruguayan hadn't started a match for the Galaxy since Oct. 5 after an injury-slowed season, playing only as a postseason substitute before the final. "I dreamed of that yesterday, of something I could give to the team," Brugman said of his pass to Paintsil. "Today, it happened." Sean Nealis scored for the seventh-seeded Red Bulls, whose improbable postseason charge ended one win shy of their first Cup championship. With the league's youngest roster, New York fell just short of becoming the lowest-seeded team to win the tournament under first-year German coach Sandro Schwarz. "I love these guys," Schwarz said. "Some guys, they are crying. In the big picture, that's a start. Sometimes when you lose the final, it's tough, but you use this experience to create the next energy, the next intensity." Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy made four saves to win his second MLS title in three seasons, but Nealis beat the 2022 MLS Cup MVP in the 28th minute when he volleyed from the penalty area. The second half was lively: Red Bulls captain Emil Forsberg hit the outside of the post in the 72nd minute, while Pec and Galaxy substitute Marco Reus nearly converted chances a few moments later. The ball got loose in the Galaxy's penalty area in the third minute of extra time, but two Red Bulls couldn't finish. After Galaxy owner Phil Anschutz received the MLS Cup that bears his name because of his steady financial support of the league during its shaky years, Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida carried the trophy to his teammates for the celebration. The Galaxy extended their lead over DC United (4) for the most MLS Cup championships in league history. The Red Bulls remain one of three original MLS franchises never to win the title, along with FC Dallas and the New England Revolution. The Galaxy finished 17-0-3 this season at their frequently renamed suburban stadium, where the sellout crowd of 26,812 for the final included several robust cheering sections of Red Bulls supporters hoping to see their New Jersey-based club's breakthrough. But this season was about the Galaxy's rebirth. The club famous for employing global stars from David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Robbie Keane and Javier "Chicharito" Hernández swiftly turned itself into a contender again by acquiring young talents without international fame. The Galaxy signed Pec from Brazil and grabbed Paintsil, a Ghanaian playing in Belgium. The duo combined with Joveljic to form a potent attack with orchestration from Puig, one of MLS' best players. "Losing a guy like Riqui after the performance he put in all season was devastating," McCarthy said. "Even if he wasn't on the field, we did it for him." Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Iowa moves on without injured quarterback Brendan Sullivan when the Hawkeyes visit Maryland for a Big Ten Conference contest on Saturday afternoon. Former starter Cade McNamara is not ready to return from a concussion, so Iowa (6-4, 4-3) turns to former walk-on and fourth-stringer Jackson Stratton to lead the offense in College Park, Md. "Confident that he'll do a great job," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said of Stratton on his weekly radio show. "He stepped in, did a really nice job in our last ballgame. And he's got a good ability to throw the football, and he's learning every day. ... We'll go with him and see what we can do." Iowa had been on an upswing with Sullivan, who had sparked the Hawkeyes to convincing wins over Northwestern and Wisconsin before suffering an ankle injury in a 20-17 loss at UCLA on Nov. 8. Stratton came on in relief against the Bruins and completed 3 of 6 passes for 28 yards. Another storyline for Saturday is that Ferentz will be opposing his son, Brian Ferentz, an assistant at Maryland. Brian Ferentz was Iowa's offensive coordinator from 2017-23. "We've all got business to take care of on Saturday," Kirk Ferentz said. "I think his experience has been good and everything I know about it. As a parent, I'm glad he's with good people." Maryland (4-6, 1-6) needs a win to keep its hopes alive for a fourth straight bowl appearance under Mike Locksley. The Terrapins have dropped five of their last six games, all by at least 14 points, including a 31-17 loss at home to Rutgers last weekend. "It's been a challenging last few weeks to say the least," Locksley said. The challenge this week will be to stop Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson, who leads the Big Ten in rushing yards (1,328) and touchdowns (20), averaging 7.1 yards per carry. "With running backs, it's not always about speed. It's about power, vision and the ability to make something out of nothing," Locksley said. "This guy is a load and runs behind his pads." Maryland answers with quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., who leads the Big Ten in passing yards per game (285.5) and completions (268). His top target is Tai Felton, who leads the conference in catches (86) and receiving yards (1,040). --Field Level MediaSteelers Fans All Saying The Same Thing About Turnovers

Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire to end nearly 14 months of fighting (World)

Chinese electric vehicle stocks , including NIO Inc NIO , Li Auto Inc LI , XPeng Inc XPEV , and ZEEKR Intelligent Technology Holding ZK , are trading upwards Thursday amid reports indicating that EV sales will likely surpass traditional cars in China for the first time in 2025 beating Europe, the U.S. and Japan. China will likely sell over 12 million cars in 2025 versus 5.9 million in 2022, the Financial Times cites estimates from investment banks and research groups estimates. Also Read: US-Listed Chinese Stocks Fall As China’s Central Bank Keeps Key Rates Steady Meanwhile, sales of traditional cars will likely decline to below 11 million in 2025 from 14.8 million in 2022, Sri Lanka Guardian cites the FT. China’s EV sales trajectory bears testimony to its progress in domestic technology and ability to secure a global supply chain for lithium and cobalt. Additionally, the scale of China’s manufacturing abilities has rendered EVs a more affordable option for consumers, Sri Lanka Guardian cites Robert Liew of Wood Mackenzie. He expects China to accomplish its target of EVs accounting for 50% of car sales by 2035, ten years ahead of schedule. Per the FT report, Industry forecasts indicate that Chinese factories producing traditional engine cars will face an almost nonexistent domestic market within a decade as rising protectionism and uncertainty over government subsidies challenge Western carmakers. Yuqian Ding of HSBC told the FT that China’s EV juggernaut is indomitable despite a slowdown in growth from a very high base due to oversupply, competition, and a price war. Earlier this week , reports indicated China ramping up stimulus to shield from potential U.S. tariffs. The country is eying 3 trillion yuan ($411 billion) in special treasury bonds in 2025, compared to 2024’s 1 trillion yuan, to drive consumption through subsidy programs, equipment upgrades, and investments in advanced sectors. Price Actions: At the last check on Thursday, NIO is up 2.06% at $4.715. LI is up 3.86%, XPEV is up 3.12%, and ZK is up 8.48%. Also Read: US-Listed Chinese Stocks React To Underwhelming Consumption Data Photo via Shutterstock. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Former President Jimmy Carter , who devoted his life after the presidency to humanitarian efforts, died Sunday at 100. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work in finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, advancing democracy and human rights, and promoting social and economic development. For more than 35 years, Carter and wife Rosalynn volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, joining “Habitat builds” in the United States and abroad. They also founded the Carter Center , committing to human rights and to alleviating human suffering. Jimmy Carter, a peanut farmer from Georgia, served one term in the White House before losing the 1980 presidential election to Ronald Reagan. Carter served as a naval officer before entering politics he was elected governor of Georgia in 1970. Here are a few of the former president’s memorable quotes. On war and peace “War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children. The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices.” – Nobel lecture on Dec. 10, 2002, after winning the Nobel Peace Prize On government watchdogs “Thoughtful criticism and close scrutiny of all government officials by the press and the public are an important part of our democratic society.” – Presidential farewell address on Jan. 14, 1981 Peacemaker, not policeman “We have no desire to be the world's policeman. But America does want to be the world's peacemaker.” – 1979 State of the Union address On marijuana decriminalization "Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself; and where they are, they should be changed. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against possession of marijuana in private for personal use. We can, and should, continue to discourage the use of marijuana, but this can be done without defining the smoker as a criminal." – 1977 message to Congress about drug abuse On Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo “Since 2001, the U.S. government has abandoned its role as a champion of human rights and has perpetrated terrible and illegal abuses in prisons in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, sent prisoners secretly to other nations to be tortured, denied the applicability of the Geneva Convention restraints, and severely restricted time-honored civil liberties within our own country. Certain political leaders of other nations, who are inclined to perpetrate human rights abuses to quiet dissenting voices and were previously restrained by positive influence from Washington, now feel free to emulate or exceed the abuses approved by American leaders.” – 2007 book, "Beyond the White House: Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, Building Hope" On human rights “I realize that violence is not more prevalent today than in previous periods of human history, but there is a difference. We have seen visionary standards adopted by the global community that espouse peace and human rights, and the globalization of information ensures that the violation of these principles of nonviolence by a powerful and admired democracy tends to resonate throughout the world community. We should have advanced much further in the realization of women's rights, given these international commitments to peace and the rule of law.” – 2014 book, "A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power" On children and gun violence “Every day in the United States, seventeen children are killed by gunfire. That’s about 6,000 children each year who are killed by guns, as compared, for example, with about 3,000 a year who died at the height of the polio epidemic of the 1950s. We rose up as a society to fight against polio. Why do we not act more forcefully to halt today’s even greater scourge?” – 1997 book, "Sources of Strength: Meditations on Scripture for a Living Faith" On drugs and the justice system "I don't think there's any doubt that the drug culture has shaped at least one major change, and that is the treatment of prisoners. When I was governor, I competed with other progressive Southern governors in who could reduce our prison population the most. ... But now, with the increase of the drug culture, politicians brag about how many prisons they’ve built. We have a massive increase in prison occupancy, and the punishment for drug use has become the pre-eminent basis for overloading our courts and prisons." – 2007 Rolling Stone interviewS Korea's Leadership Crisis In The Hands Of Constitutional Court

Watts scores 20, Washington State takes down Boise State 74-69